Soon, retail stores to have designer khadi corners

According to union minister of micro, small & medium enterprises (MSME) Giriraj Singh, around 800 villages will be converted into khadi clusters for generating employment. Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint

New Delhi: Soon, big retail stores will have dedicated space for selling designer khadi products, as the government looks to aggressively market the indigenous fabric and popularise it among the masses, a move which is likely to help increase the income of artisans.

According to union minister of micro, small & medium enterprises (MSME) Giriraj Singh, around 800 villages will be converted into khadi clusters for generating employment as the government is working towards taking khadi out from Khadi Bhawan and take it to malls and retail chains.

“People generally perceive Khadi as not fashionable and something worn by the older generation. Therefore we spoke to 30 retail chains like Big Bazaar, Pantaloons, W, Globus, etc. (in Mumbai). The outcome is that for the first time you will see exclusive Khadi corners with designer Khadi products in many of these retail chains which will add value. In the process this will also help the artisans,” MSME secretary Arun Kumar Panda said.